Can kefir lift your mood?

A sneak peek into the newest gut-brain research, and how to smart snack. Plus, a prebiotic Peruvian cold potato dish for your gut-health and why early dining is ace

CAN KEFIR IMPROVE OUR MOOD?

Professor Felice Jacka the Australian researcher famed for studies using Mediterranean diet to improve mood was in London last week, so I grabbed a ticket to hear her speak.

Jacka and her team are currently running a fermented milk trial, she told us (a packed room of psychiatrists, GPs, nutritionists, and counsellors), organised by the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.

Prof Felice Jacka: “Research funding is very difficult to get for the gut microbiome. It’s such a new field.”

Participants drink 130ml of fermented milk (aka kefir), or a placebo drink a day over 8 weeks.

Brain imaging, microbiome testing, and inflammation markers are being tracked as well as mood, cognition, bowel symptoms, and quality of life scores.

I’m looking forward to seeing the published study soon. Yes, we know from research that eating a Mediterraanean style diet (with diverse fruit and veg, nuts and seeds, beans and pusles, herbs, some fish, extra virgin olive oil) can help feed the microbiome to spark better brain health and mood (see ref below).

But it will be super useful to have some proper research around fermented milk and the gut and brain too.

So what does a brain-boosting day of gut-friendly food, movement and mood-lifting habits actually look like?

I took notes, photos from the event, and created a prebiotic recipe when I got home. Paid members, come with me behind the scenes…